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HOUGHTS 



on Life, 






I BALL KITCHEN, 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

(styaju.- ©njujrigfyt If a.— 

Shelf _d£j3J> 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



€$ou%W on life 



Thoughts on Life 



BY 



SARAH BALL KITCHEN 




NEW YORK 
ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH AND CO. 

38 West Twenty-Third Street 



\ 



V 






Copyright, 1891, 
By Sarah Ball Kitchen 



Univebsity Press: 

John Wilson and Sox, Cambridge. 



\ 



TO 

tear anti onlg Sister, 



WHOSE GENTLE AND NOBLE LIFE HAS BEEN AN 

INSPIRATION FOB MANY OF THEM, THESE 

THOUGHTS ARE AFFECTIONATELY 

INSCRIBED. 

S. B. K. 



NOTE. 

Everything has been better said than 
ive can say it ; but our manner of say- 
ing it may touch some heart to which 
it has never appealed before. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Life ... 13 

Love . . 19 

Duty .25 

Kindness 31 

Happiness 39 

Friendship 43 

Consolation 47 

Monitions „ . . . 55 

Miscellaneous . 73 



LIFE. 



THOUGHTS ON LIFE. 



LIFE. 



1. He who hath placed thee here 
upon earth hath meant thy life should 
be of some avail. See thou to it that 
it be not in vain. 

2. To those of us who realize the 
responsibility of living, it is indeed a 
solemn thing to have been intrusted 
with the great gift of life. 

3. Doth thy past reproach thee, 
make thy future atone for it. 

4. Thou canst live but once. What 
art thou doing with thy life ? It were 
sometimes well to pause and ask thy- 



14 Life. 

self this question in the midst of thine 
affairs. 

5. Have a purpose in thy life, — 
some noble aim, some blessed goal 
towards which thou strivest ever. 

6. Let truth be the key-note of thy 
life's song. 

7. Strive to make men better for 
thy daily walk among them. 

8. Thou art rearing the structure of 
thy life day by day. Art thou making 
it fair and strong and beautiful, so that 
it will be a credit to thee when at last 
thou shalt have finished it and must 
account for it to the great Master 
Builder ? 

9. Have thy moorings. Let not the 
bark of thy life be swept about by 
bitter-blowing winds. 

10. Sit not thou with folded hands in 
a world where so much waits to be done. 



Life. 15 

11. Let not thy life be wrecked by 
adverse circumstances. Rise above 
them, and show to the world that sub- 
lime sight, — an indomitable soul. 

12. It is much to have beautified life 
for others. 

13. If thou canst brighten another 
life thine own is not in vain. 

14. In thy daily walk through life 
strive to dwell upon the beautiful and 
the good, rather than upon the un- 
sightly and the evil. 

15. Every man must fight his own 
battle in life ; it is something which 
cannot be done by proxy. 

16. If the lyre of thy life doth some- 
times fail to yield its accustomed sweet- 
ness, it may be thy soul is out of tune 
and not the instrument. 

17. Human destiny is much the 
same for all of us : without our own 



16 Life. 

volition we take up the struggle here 
upon earth. We toil, we hope ; we 
fear, we love ; we weep, we smile ; we 
die, we live at last. 

18. No life is a failure that grows 
purer and nobler day by day. 

19. Thou must die, but thou canst 
leave a legacy to the world. The 
record of a noble life is a gift to all 
time. 

20. Though the conditions of thy 
life be unfavorable, yet mayest thou 
rise above them, creating thus for thy- 
self a better and a fairer temple of 
existence, into which thou mayest enter 
and dwell safely, and where thou wilt 
find a noble life to be a happy one 
also. 



L V E. 



LOVE. 

1. The holy plant of love blooms 
best in the darkest night of sorrow. 
Then do its fair blossoms arise and 
shine and bless with a beauty and 
fragrance unknown to the dazzling 
daylight of joy. 

2. If thou lovest and art loved, then 
hast thou quaffed the cup of earthly 
bliss. 

3. Love setteth no bounds to the 
perfections of its adored object. 

4. Love hesitateth not at sacrifice. 

5. Love looketh not for return. 

6. Love hath infinite patience. 

7. Oh, blessed Love, that keeps our 
hearts from turning to worm-wood 
and gall ! 



20 Love. 

8. Sweet love doth offer blessed 
compensation. 

9. Truly were life a barren waste 
did not love refresh us by the way. 

10. Thou canst never do too much 
for those whom God hath given thee 
to love and cherish in life. 

11. Hath a great gift of love been 
given thee, withhold it not : the world 
is starving for love. 

12. To a very loving nature all 
philosophy fails with the failing of 
love. 

13. A step that maketh the heart 
leap, a glance that pierceth the soul, 
a voice that blancheth the cheek, a 
touch that thrilleth the frame : these 
Love hath. 

14. Love and Pain clasped hands 
long ago just outside the gates of 
Paradise. Since then no man hath 



Love. 21 

been able to part the twain, who ever 
walk thus hand in hand. 

15. Oh. wonderful mystery of love, 
well may we tremble in thy mighty 
presence who art at once the source of 
our purest joy and of our deepest 

anguish ! 

16. The light of love in Love's 
eyes w T ill illumine the darkest night 
of woe. 

17. Let the pure fires of faith and 
love burn ever brightly upon the 
hearth of thy soul. 

18. There is something ineffably 
sweet in a sacrifice made for those 
we love. 

19. Surmounting all things, Love 
soareth again to the skies whence it 
came ; for Love is of heavenly birth. 



DUTY. 



DUTY. 

1. Not for thine own happiness, 
hath God placed thee upon earth, but 
that thou mightest be of some ser- 
vice to thy fellow-creatures. Pray ever, 
that thou mayest accomplish some- 
thing towards that great end. 

2. Unto what sublime heights and 
depths of duty might we not attain, 
were we ever what we are in our 
better moments ! 

3. A slighted duty will not fail to 

confront thee again, and to thy dis- 
comfiture. 

4. The world is better for every 
worthy life that is lived in it, — for 
every struggle towards the right that 
any one of us is making day by day. 



26 Duty. 

5. Thou art a citizen of the world. 
Interest thyself in its affairs, and 
strive with all thy might to bring 
about a better order of things than 
that thou findest prevailing to-day. 

6. Duty hath an honest eye. 

7. In this or that circumstance do 
thy best : no more will be expected of 
thee. 

8. It is brave to live and face thy 
sorrow, while to die and escape it were 
but cowardly. 

9. An immortal soul hath been com- 
mitted to thy keeping. How solemn 
the trust ! 

10. The wheels of the world's pro- 
gress move slowly, but each can do 
something towards helping them on. 
Friends, lend a hand ! 

11. If the profound consciousness 
of fulfilling thy duty to the best of 



Duty. 27 

thine ability be thine, thou hast noth- 
ing to fear from the reproach of men. 

12. Dost thou long for work to do 
in life, — to accomplish something for 
the good of humanity? The duty ly- 
ing next thy hand is thy part towards 
that blessed consummation. Take it up 
and do it bravely and efficiently ; con- 
tribute thy mite with thy might and 
thy soul will find peace. 

13. It will sweeten the bitterest of 
duties to feel we do it for Christ's 
sake. 

14. If things in this world be as 
much out of sorts as we are sometimes 
inclined to think them, it behooves 
us all to do what we can towards 
straightening them out ; and be it 
ever so little that lies within our 
power, every little helps ; and perhaps 
our "jot and tittle" may make the 



28 Duty. 

burden lighter somewhere for some- 
one to cany. 

15. If Duty call unto thee, do thou 
arise and follow, though her voice be 
full of tears. 

16. It is a fine thing to know one's 
duty in life, and to be doing it day by 
day. 



KINDNESS. 



KINDNESS. 

1. Have it not upon thy conscience 
that thou hast been unkind to any 
living soul. 

2. In a nature where kindness hath 
a sure foot-hold we are apt to find 
many other lofty attributes ; for kind- 
ness enricheth the soil of the heart for 
the growth of other virtues. 

3. Be kind. It will increase thy 
credit with men and angels. 

4. Do an act of kindness to some 
one every day of thy life ; if possible, 
more than one, and to many. Be am- 
bitious of numbers in this respect. 

5. Let no harsh words fall from thy 
lips to add to the burden of the world's 



82 Kindness. 

sorrow ; but rather let kind words add 

to its joy. 

6. Be tender and considerate for old 
age, as thou thinkest to attain to it one 
day thyself. 

7. A clay spent in earing for the 
comfort of others has been well spent, 
even though thine own affairs may 
have suffered in consequence. 

8. Kindness proveth ever a better 
whip than harshness. 

9. If thou be diligently occupied 
in seeking for virtues in others, thou 
wilt find the time shortened for dis- 
covering their failings. 

10. Let not thine interest settle in 
self. Interest thyself in others, as 
much as possible in all humanity ; and 
if thou canst find but little to attract 
thee in thy daily intercourse with men, 
let love supply the deficiency : and 



Kindness, 33 

almost every man needetli thy love, 
having a sorrow of which thou knowest 
not. 

11. Neglect no opportunity of doing 
good. The joy of helping others is in- 
finite, and no man can deprive thee 
of it. 

12. There is much nobility existing 
in natures where we little thought to 
find it, as the occasion often proves. 
In view of this fact, let us make it a 
rule to think the best of others until 
we know the worst. 

13. A smile hath often dispelled a 
cloud which threatened an approaching 
storm. 

14. Withhold not a word of cheer 
from thy toil-worn brother. It may be 
much to him. 

15. None is so poor that he hath 
nothing to give. 

3 



34 Kindness. 

16. Fellow-travellers through a vale 
of tears 5 let us comfort each other by 
the way. 

17. Art thou extending the strong 
right hand of Christian fellowship to 
thy weaker brother whose feet are 
trembling upon the brink from which, 
it may be, thou hast only just been 
snatched thyself ? 

18. Think thou each morning : 
Whom can I befriend this day ? Whose 
burden can I carry for a little space ? 

19. Assuredly is sympathy a divine 
gift : a word, a smile, a tear, — what 
power, what encouragement, what sol- 
ace in these. 

20. When thou art sadly interrupted 
in the midst of thine affairs seek 
to make such trial of thy patience 
yield some blessed fruit, that thy 
loss may be his gain who hath inter- 



Kindness. 35 

rupted thee, and unto whom thou 
mayest, perhaps, be able to show some 
kindness, or to speak some word of 
cheer. 

21. The needed wine of encourage- 
ment will often cause the drooping 
soul to revive. 

22. The days are fleeting. Soon 
there will be no time left for tender- 
ness and love and trust, and all. the 
fair jewels with which we might have 
crowned our clear ones in life. Ah, 
what bitter tears we will shed at last, 
in realizing that such blessed possi- 
bilities exist for us no longer ! 

23. There is a giving that impover- 
isheth not, but rather enricheth the 
giver. 

24. In solacing another's woes thou 
wilt often heal thine own as well. 

25. Thou mayest never meet this 



36 Kindness. 

soul again in thy walk through the 
world. Grant it a smile ! 

26. Be kind to dumb animals, who, 
incapable to care for and consider 
themselves, have been, by Providence, 
specially committed to man's care and 
consideration. 

27. The time has not been lost 
which thou hast spent in doing good. 

28. Oh, blessed mission to be kind ! 



HAPPINESS. 



HAPPINESS. 

1. The happiest earthly life is that 
modelled after the heavenly plan. 

2. Happiness will not bear pursuit, 
but often will she turn and seek us 
when we cease our quest of her. 

3. In bestowing the blessed coin of 
happiness upon others, thou wilt often 
find thine own coffers overflowing 
with it as well. 

4. Thou wilt find a busy day hath 
usually been a happy one also. 

5. Make It thy constant aim to give, 
rather than to get, happiness. 

6. Though great joys may not have 
fallen to thy lot in life, yet mayest 
thou ever rejoice in the joy of others. 



40 Happiness. 

7. Exult in the sun-light while thou 
mayest. It will not always shine for 
thee, and God wills thou shouldst have 
thy pleasures and rejoicings as well as 
thy wholesome disciplines in life. 

8. Keep thy desires moderate, thy 
soul pure, thy heart true and loving, 
thy whole life single-eyed to duty, and 
thou wilt scarcely fail to be happy. 

9. Happiness can ever fill the place 
of wealth ; but wealth, that of happi- 
ness, never. 

10. Let thy smile brighten life for 
those around thee ; it is a blessed 
radiance which happiness doth impart. 

11. To a great extent our happiness 
is in the hands of others. God hath 
made us thus dependent upon one 
another for much of the daily beauty 
of our lives. 



FRIENDSHIP. 



FRIENDSHIP. 

1. Even in thought be thou loyal 
to thv friend. He who doubts his 
friend is a traitor at heart. 

2. Be careful in forming thv friend- 
ships, as of a matter profoundly in- 
fluencing thy whole life. 

3. To be estranged from the friend 
of my soul, — that were strange in- 
deed ! 

4. Hath thy friend a grief ? Thou 
mayest help him to bear it. 

5. Nor time, nor space, nor prison- 
bars can part my soul from the friend 
I love. 

6. In vain strivings after the unat- 
tainable we trample under our feet 



44 Friendship. 

the purer jewels of friendship and 
love. 

7. Both deep and sweet is the water 
in friendship's well ; he who drinketh 
thereof is refreshed by the way.^ 



CONSOLATION. 



CONSOLATION. 

1. Dost thou realize that God hath 
greatly exalted thee, in that he hath 
given thee a fiery trial to bear ? For 
so would He refine and purify thy soul, 
and make it meet for the matchless 
splendor of His abiding Presence. 

2. Why shouldst thou mourn, if out 
of thy sorrow may be born some 
blessed hope for the world ? 

3. Doth thy toil seem unavailing ? 
Remember that nothing is lost, even 
thine effort being accepted of God. 

4. If thou hast sorrow and canst 
surmount it, then art thou happy in- 
deed, for the mournful tree of thy life 
hath brought forth the fair fruit of 



48 Consolation. 

rejoicing. Of the travail of thy soul 
hath the beautiful child of Peace been 
born. 

5. Doth thy path seem difficult? 
Remember Christ holds thy hand 
and will not suffer thee to fall. 

6. Rest assured that the trials which 
have been sent thee are just those 
which thy soul needed for its purifying 
and exalting. 

7. If thy fairest dreams have failed 
thee in life, thou wilt find a sure refuge 
in noble realities. 

8. Earthly love may fail thee in thy 
greatest need, but heavenly love never 
will. 

9. The harder thou workest for pos- 
session, the more apt wilt thou be to 
retain ; regret not, then, thy long- 
continued effort. 

10. The painful toil of earth is short 



Consolation. 49 

compared with the endless bliss of 
heaven. 

11. It is when the deepest chasm 
yawns beneath us that we feel the 
support of the Everlasting Arms most 
precious ; for then, realizing our own 
insufficiency and incompleteness, do 
we commit ourselves to a strength not 
our own, and are safelv borne over. 
Ah, welcome the griefs bringing with 
them such blessed support and such 
sweet transportation across the dark 
valley which threatened to ingulf us ! 

12. Alas, that we have done so little 
in life ! Yes, but so much still re- 
mains for us to do. 

13. Doth thy burden sometimes seem 
heavier than thou canst bear ? Think 
of Christ who fainted not under the 
weight of the whole world's sin and 
sorrow. 



50 Consolation. 

14. Didst thou ever fathom the 
sweetness of the thought that all is 
known to God ? Why, then, shouldst 
thou take it to heart, though thine 
actions be misapprehended of men ? 

15. Doth thy soul faint under the 
scorching rays of the toil of life ? Flee 
thou quickly to the Shadow of the 
Cross, where thou mayest rest and be 
refreshed. 

16. Thine earthly house may crum- 
ble and fall, but thy heavenly home 
hath a sure foundation. 

17. Thou must endure thy burden. 
Thou canst not shake it off; but Christ 
will help thee to bear it. 

18. It is sometimes when we lie 
prone at God's feet, and make a com- 
plete surrender of our will to His, that 
He is pleased to give us our heart's 
desire. 



Consolation. 51 

19. Walk thou ever uprightly, and 
the world will be apt to give thee thy 
dues in due season. 

20. Each hath his allotted place in 
the great universal plan of God. When 
doubts perplex thee, remember all is 
in His hands who cannot err. 

21. Though sickness may conquer 
my body, yet doth my soul remain 
free. 

22. It is with the failure of all 
earthly things that we find out the 
preciousness of things heavenly. 

23. When thou canst come to feel 
the utter dependence of thy soul upon 
God, then wilt thou find enduring 
peace. 



- 



MONITIONS. 



MONITIONS. 

1. Be vigilant ! Each moment offers 
thee a possibility which may never 
exist for thee again. 

2. Seek not to refresh thy soul in 
the shallow pool of the world's ap- 
plause. 

3. Dwell upon lofty things ; let 
thy soul accustom itself to soaring ; 
thus will it be prepared for its final 
flight. 

4. Be thou the master, not the slave, 
of thy passions. 

5. Let deceit knock in vain at the 
door of thy heart, — be thou ever open 
and true. An honorable nature hath 
little to conceal. 



56 Monitions. 

6. Arrogate not to thyself those 
qualities which thou dost not possess : 
the world will soon find thee out for a 
pretender. 

7. Fine actions are better than fine 
words. Put thy lofty-mindedness into 
practice. 

8. Cease not to strive after a lofty 
ideal. Thou wilt fall far short of it, but 
the effort will be wholesome, and will 
lead thee up and on to better things. 

9. If thy soul be sometimes in tears 
because of the possibilities which have 
escaped thee in life, take heed that no 
more are passing thee by while thou 
weepest. 

10. If thy plot of endeavor in life be 
small, cultivate it well, and it will yield 
thee more abundantly than the larger 
field of thy neighbor who is less dili- 
gent than thou. 



Monitions. 57 

11. Friend, I give thee counsel. 
Follow Truth : she will not mislead 
thee. Shun Doubt : she will undo 
thee. 

12. Breathe thou this prayer to thy- 
self each day upon waking: Be thou 
noble 5 oh, my soul ! 

13. Ask thou this question of thy- 
self each night upon retiring: What 
have I done this day that has been 
worthy of an immortal soul ? 

14. Thou art never alone, but ever 
in the presence of the King of Kings : 
see that thy conduct be suited to such 
divine companionship. 

15. Let our failures be our mentors 
as well, admonishing us to greater 
vigilance for the future. 

16. Disparage not the value of an 
hour ; a good will, a loving heart, and 
willing hands will surmount almost in- 



58 Moiiitions. 

surmountable difficulties within that 
short space of time. 

17. Be thou ever a man among men, 
but a child before God. 

18. Art thou a Christian ? Think of 
it and rejoice over it every moment of 
thy life ; but the longest life were too 
short for such thinking and such 
rejoicing. 

19. Let thy spirit rule thy body, 
rather than thy body thy spirit. 

20. Imitate no man : be thy true 
self. 

21. Climb slowly, else, perchance, 
were thy fall great. 

22. Crave only good : fear only evil. 

23. Keep thy thoughts pure and 
thy life will be pure also ; for thy life 
is the outcome of thy thoughts. 

24. Clasp hands with freedom every- 
where. 



Monitions. 59 

25. Hast thou business to clo? Be 
about it ; time is fleeting, and night 
will be upon thee ere thou thinkest. 

26. Though inaction be thy present 
portion, it may not always be thus 
with thee ; so keep thyself in training 
for the race in which, it may be, thou 
wilt soon be called upon to take thy 
part. 

27. Knowest thou what thy beset- 
ting sin is ? See to it, then, that thou 
set out to conquer it. 

28. All thou hast has been given 
thee. Thou art but a pensioner upon 
God's bounty. Let this thought keep 
thee ever in due humility. 

29. Fail not to realize that in all 
the universe thou hast but God and 
thyself to depend upon. 

30. Set thine earthly house in order, 
for thou knowest not how soon thou 



60 Monitions. 

mayest be called to start upon the 
journey from which thou wilt never 
return. 

31. By always remembering thine 
own imperfections before God, thou 
wilt be led to deal gently with the 
imperfections of others. 

32. Espouse not thou the disputes 
of others ; thou wilt find it an un- 
profitable business. 

33. Harbor no malice, even though 
others may have injured thee. Re- 
member that thine affairs are in the 
hands of a just God. 

34. Ye who have lost earth through 
sorrow and disappointment, take heed 
that ye lose not heaven also by bitter- 
ness and repining. 

35. Another man's springs of action 
may differ widely from thine : look 
not, then, for the same rapidity of cur- 



Monitions. 61 

rent in the separate rivers of your 
lives. 

36. Guard well the house of thy 
soul ; suffer not " envy, hatred, and 
malice" to mar the fair beauty of its 
walls. 

37. Accept not another man's think- 
ing. Think for thyself ; for what else 
were thy powers of reasoning given 
thee ? 

38. As a warrior seeks to know the 
weak places in his armor, that he may 
strengthen them for future service, so 
let us strive to find out and strengthen 
the assailable points in our characters, 
that we yield not to temptation in the 
daily warfare of our lives. We are 
warriors all ! 

39. Wrap thyself so closely in the 
robe of nobilitv that none mav be able 
to snatch it from thee. 



62 Monitions. 

40. Force not thy convictions upon 
another, — remember he hath his own, 
which are as dear to him as thine are 
to thee, — but have thy convictions all 
the same, and be thou ever ready to 
stand up for them when the occasion 
shall demand it. 

41. Condemn not another for yield- 
ing to a temptation to which thou hast 
not been exposed thyself. 

42. Seek to know the bent of thy 
mind, and pursue it. 

43. Let thine endeavor sleep when 
thou sleepest ; take it up with the 
dawn. 

44. Set about thine affairs ; they 
will never accomplish themselves. 

45. Rate not thyself above error ; 
thou art but mortal, and liable to err 
like the rest of thy kind. 

46. Enthusiasm is a fine thing for 



Monitions. 63 

thee to have, but see thou hast it in a 
good cause, else were the pain and 
error great. 

47. Respect thou the silence of an- 
other soul ; it may be intent upon the 
eternal harmonies. 

48. Let the pure flame of thy life's 
lamp give light unto those who wander 
in darkness. 

49. Deem no toil too great which 
will ultimately bring thee success. 

50. Pray thou be kept ever faithful 
to the sacred trusts which have been 
given thee in life. 

51. Art thou a follower of Christ ? 
Be thou ever mindful of it, lest men 
should say that Christ were not suffi- 
cient to deliver thee from the evil. 

52. Have patience with humanity ; 
it is hard pressed. 

53. Beware of habits ; once formed, 



64 Monitions. 

they will hold thee with a grasp of 
iron. 

54. Each day cometh to thee spot- 
less and fair ; whatever it be at night 
thou wilt have made it. 

55. Pray thou may est never be a 
stumbling-block to any other soul. 

56. Be thou ever prompt to see and 
to acknowledge merit in others. 

57. As a barren tree doth cumber 
the ground, so doth an idle, aimless 
existence intrude itself upon the happi- 
ness of others, sapping their strength 
and their usefulness, and appropriating 
to its own unworthiness much of the 
pleasant field of daily life. Cumber 
not the ground ! 

58. Hold up thy head ; let thy body 
be as upright as thy soul. 

59. Make it one of the unalterable 
rules of thy life never to have anything 



Monitions. 65 

thou canst not afford ; for such having 
is dishonorable, and will not fail to 
bring thee bitterness in the end. 

60. Dwell not in the shadow of a 
sin, but rather let its warning light 
direct thy steps worthily for the 
future. 

61. Let not failure break thine 
heart, neither let success exalt thee 
over-much. 

62. Learn to accept defeat bravely, 
but success timidly. Well-endured 
defeat will not fail to strengthen thee 
for new endeavor, while ill-sustained 
success will but weaken thee for future 
conquests. 

63. Let thy soul's attitude be prayer- 
ful. Thou hast ever need to pray. 

64. Endeavor to direct thy mind 
into wholesome channels of thought. 

65. Men either do or do not im- 



66 Monitions. 

prove upon acquaintance. Be thou 
one who doth. 

6G. In the usual order of things, 
depart not thou from thy kind. Disre- 
garded nature will surely cause thee to 
shed bitter tears. 

67. Since thou art powerless to 
change the inevitable, cease to repine 
at it. 

68. Let not Fashion over-rule thee ; 
she is but a senseless tyrant. 

69. Expect but little of thy fellows ; 
then wilt thou not be disappointed at 
receiving nothing. 

70. Compel the respect of those 
who would demean thee. 

71. A large proportion of the diffi- 
culties in life are the result of misun- 
derstanding in one form or other. See, 
then, that things are well understood 
before thou come to have bitter words 



Monitions. 67 

with thy friend ; such words leave a 
scar behind which time cannot efface, 
— and the dearer the lips uttering 
them, the more ineffaceable the scar. 

72. Earth's joys are soon past ; let 
us make the most of them while they 
are ours. 

73. Do good because it is right, 
without any expectation of gratitude in 
return. 

74. Hath God called thee unto " the 
holy estate of matrimony ? " See that 
thou glorify Him therein. 

75. Wouldst thou succeed with the 
matter thou hast in hand ? Give it 
thine attention ; divided attention balks 
success. 

76. Fail not to fulfil thy part of a 
contract ; then wilt thou have the 
satisfaction of upright-doing, though 
thy project may have miscarried. 



68 Monitions. 

77. Speak no word thou wilt ever 
live to regret having uttered. 

78. Disappoint not the heart of a 
child, whose sorrow thereat may be 
greater than man thinketh. 

79. Let not thy powers fall into 
disuse; thy life needs and demands 
their fullest activity. 

80. Remember the sorrowful in thy 
prayers. Full many a heart is break- 
ing as thou kneelest. 

81. Let thy work be of the best, 
though thou accomplish but little. 

82. Think well before choosing thy 
life's companion, as of an act likely to 
prove, in a great measure, either the 
making or the undoing of thee and thy 
future. 

83. Live up to thy convictions ; 
there are few brave enough to clo it. 

84. Having nothing favorable to say 



Monitions. 69 

of another, it were well for thee to 
lock the door of thy lips, and to throw 
away the key of speech altogether. 

85. Though others may u cause thee 
pain, see thou cause pain to none. 

86. Oh, the pathos of wrecked lives ! 
Do thou spare the world the sad 
spectacle of another such in thine 
own. 

87. Fret not thyself at being unable 
to make others conform to thine own 
particular view of things. Do thy 
best and what thou believest to be 
right ; set a good example to those thou 
wouldst influence, and be happy in a 
sense of duty performed to the best of 
thy knowledge ; but repine not that 
others continue to see things in an- 
other light than the one thou deemest 
best. 



70 Monitions. 

88. Cultivate cheerfulness ; it is a 
plant that will well repay thee for thy 
care in fostering it. 

89. Do right ; there is no hope or 
happiness or safety or salvation in 
anything else. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 

1. To some is the heavenly vision 
given to see beyond the blinding mists 
of earth, into the clear shining of God's 
love and mercy directing all the affairs 
of men, and evolving out of this present 
chaos the surpassing beauty of eternal 
order. 

2. Because angels sometimes come 
to us in homely guise, we know them 
not until they are beyond recall. 

3. Oh, foolish man who fearest the 
eyes of the world upon thine earthly 
affairs, but art unmindful of the eye 
of God penetrating the innermost 
recesses of thy soul ! 



74 Miscellaneous. 

4. Unless thou merit thine own es- 
teem, how canst thou look for that of 
the world ? 

5. Having built thine house upon 
the sand thou canst not murmur at 
its fall. 

6. If thou canst make much of small 
things then art thou rich indeed, for 
thou canst increase thy store at will. 

7. May Heaven forgive us for the 
wounds we unwittingly inflict upon 
hearts already bleeding! 

8. Where sweetest roses blow, 
There sharpest thorns do grow. 

9. u No " hath often proved a kind- 
ness where " yes " would have been 
an unkindness. 

10. Alas, that closing the eyes doth 
not always shut out what we would not 
wish to see ! 



Miscellaneous. 75 

11. Unto the strong souls are the 
heaviest burdens allotted in life. 

12. Selfishness is one of the most 
far-reaching of sins, destroying not only 
his happiness who yieldeth himself unto 
it, but also that of all around him. 

13. The world is ever quick to blame, 
but slow to praise. 

14. Men unthinkingly assume re- 
sponsibilities at which the angels might 
well tremble. 

15. Who doth not respect the honest 
hand of toil ? 

16. Slander wieldeth a deadly weapon, 
cutting clown alike both guilty and 
innocent. 

17. The best gifts are those which 
cost us something in the giving. 

18. Judgment followeth swiftly in 
the footsteps of crime. 

19. Since thou canst not divine the 



76 Miscellaneous. 

heart of thy friend, surely art thou but 
ill suited to judge his actions of whom 
thou knowest but little. 

20. Love, labor, duty, kindness, 
patience, — this way lieth peace. 

Selfishness, idleness, enviousness, 
repining, distrust, — this way lieth 
unrest. 

21. A wise man storeth up fuel for 
the winter of old age, when the fires 
of youth will have burned themselves 
out. 

22. To make the best of things is 
one of the most important lessons we 
have to learn in life, and one from 
which the results will be the largest in 
the end. Thou wilt do well, then, to 
accommodate thyself to circumstances 
which thou canst not over-rule. 

23. Moderation is the beautiful fruit 
of the fair tree of wisdom. 



Miscellaneous. 77 

24. There is no more deadly dart 
for slaying the peace of home than an 
imperious temper ; yet, strange to 
say, men seldom set out to conquer 
it, but let it continue to blight to the 
end the lives of those whose happiness 
has been committed to them as a 
sacred trust in life. 

25. If thy soul be noble thou wilt 
not stoop to do an ignoble deed. 

26. Though thou mayest not always 
be able to choose thine associates from 
among the strong and wise, yet mayest 
thou often lead thy weaker compan- 
ions on to strength and wisdom, if 
thou possess these attributes thyself. 

27. If, in this distracting world, 
thou canst at night record one worthy 
deed for each day, thou hast done 
well. 

28. A dauntless soul soareth high 



78 Miscellaneous. 

towards heaven, while a timid soul 
scarce riseth above the earth. 

29. The strong curb of self-control 
alone can guide the dangerous steed 
of impulse. 

30. Words spoken merely for the 
sake of speaking were better left 
unsaid. 

31. A tender memory keeps the 
heart green ; where it dwells, there 
reigns eternal youth. 

32. Much insistence placeth thy 
friend in a difficult pass, and one from 
which he would fain escape. 

33. Art thou true and noble ? Thou 
art kith and kin to truth and nobility 
everywhere. 

34. Perfection is a flower of heavenlv 

«/ 

birth ; thou wilt seek it here in vain, 
for upon all things earthly wilt thou 
find the blight of incompleteness. 



Miscellaneous. 79 

35. A large nature soareth above 
the restricting bonds of prejudice. 

36. The establishing of a home upon 
God's earth is one of the most solemn 
and important acts of a man's life. 

37. A happy home is the nearest 
approach to heaven we will ever be 
permitted to make upon earth. 

38. An injudicious man will often 
ruin the cause he seeks to further. 

39. Success represents much dili- 
gent toil. 

40. Diligence knoweth no night ; it 
waketh ever. 

41. Tolerance doth ever increase 
with knowledge. 

42. Wisdom is ever a mighty friend 
for thee to have at the Court of the 
World. 

43. There are so many overwhelm- 
ing miseries in life that it seems a 



80 Miscellaneous. 

pity men should devote so much time 
to inventing trivial ones. 

44. Perhaps the blinding tears of 
remorse are the most bitter of all that 
mortals shed upon earth. 

45. The man vrithout resources is 
usually as much of a bore to himself 
as he is to others. 

46. Time will show of what stuff 
thou art made. 

47. The past dieth not ; it liveth 
in us to-day, and such as we are it 
hath made us. 

48. That thou hast not ten talents 
is nothing to thy discredit, but that 
thou dost not employ the one talent 
which hath been apportioned thee. 

49. Joy passeth us with flying feet, 
but Sorrow hath a lingering step. 

50. Man, upon thy knees ! this is 
woman, Mother of Our Lord. 



Miscellaneous. 81 

51. To the woman who realizes 
the tragedy of her existence it 
is simply overwhelming. 

52. A man of good intentions who 
fails to carry them out is one of the 
greatest of failures, his failure being 
in proportion to the good he purposed 
to do. 

53. Every soul possesseth treasures 
of some kind, if, perchance, thou canst 
succeed in calling them forth. 

54. The sordid struggle for exis- 
tence hath blighted many a flower of 
heavenly promise. 

55. There are times when our souls 
are very near to the unseen, — rare mo- 
ments when glimpses into the blessed 
beyond are accorded us. From such 
holy contemplation, we return to our 
walk among men with hearts attuned 



82 Miscellaneous. 

to heavenly lays, and find the earthly 
song the sweeter in the singing. 

56. A well-ordered mind is an in- 
estimable gift ; its value is beyond 
computing. 

57. In the battle of life nothing tells 
more than character. In view of this 
fact, which we all know, it is surpris- 
ing how little attention is paid to the 
forming of character in the rearing of 
the young. 

58. Though we may not all arrive 
at greatness, yet may we all accom- 
plish something worthy in life. 

59. The man who is courteous in 
the world, but neglects to be so at 
home, is far from being admirable, 
though the short-sighted world may 
deem him so. 

60. The Christian religion is suffi- 



Miscellaneous, 83 

cient for every exigency of life, did we 
but realize this stupendous fact. 

61. We can rise above bodily pain ; 
it is the soul's agony that kills. 

62. It is the beauty of thy soul that 
matters, not that of thy body. 

63. Through reading are we ad- 
mitted to the companionship of noble 
souls of the past, who though dead to 
earth yet live for us again in the 
sweet communion our spirits hold with 
theirs. 

64. There is a place in the world 
awaiting thee, but thou must prove 
thy claim to it. 

65. To be good is the highest of 
aims and within the reach of us all ; 
but how few of us are really striving 
towards that great end. 

66. With thy heart's blood, it may 



84 Miscellaneous. 

be, wilt thou be called upon to pur- 
chase thine experience in life. 

67. Courage will guide thy steps 
safely through many a difficult pass 
in the mountains of duty. 

68. We are the guardians of our 
fate ; in our own hands we carry it 
day by day, unconscious of the sol- 
emn responsibility with which we are 
laden. 

69. Thy place in the world, having 
been apportioned thee of God, is un- 
doubtedly the right place for thee to 
fill. Cease, then, to repine that thy 
station in life be not other than it is, 
but stretch forth thine hand to avail 
thyself of the noble possibilities it 
still hath in store for thee, and which, 
it may be, thy tears have thus far 
hidden from thy sight. 



Miscellaneous. 85 

70. Thou wilt find occupation a 
cure for many ills thou art inclined to 
deem incurable. 

71. Though thou may est not be able 
to lighten thine own burden in life, 
yet canst thou surely refrain from add- 
ing anything to the weight of thy 
neighbor's. 

72. It is a magnificent thing to iden- 
tify thyself with the cause of the Right 
in life. 

73. It rests with thee to make thy 
life a power either for good or for evil. 

74. God will be our judge at last, 
and such as these our jurors : wasted 
opportunities, neglected admonitions, 
unheeded promptings towards the right, 
noble aims left to languish, kind words 
unsaid, kind deeds undone, the weep- 
ing train of ill-spent days, the silenced 



86 Miscellaneous. 

voice of conscience, the stifled longings 
of the soul for the good and the true, 
the empty hands we might have 
filled, the loving hearts we might have 
blessed, the worthy lives we failed to 
live. 

75. The utmost thou canst do for 
Christianity is to show men what it 
hath done for thee. 



THE END. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS f 



021 899 073 3 



